Six Duel Commandments
by Theoretical-Optimist
Summary: What was Percy Weasley thinking as he dueled Pius Thicknesse alongside his brother Fred during the Battle of Hogwarts? Written for Round 10 of The Houses Competition.


House: Gryffindor

Category: Short

Prompt: Dueling

Word Count: 924

-AN Partially inspired by Ten Duel Commandments from Hamilton.

* * *

"Hello Minister," Percy called out as a deadly curse whizzed by his ear. "Did I mention that I'm resigning?"

Percy prided himself on being an excellent student during his time at Hogwarts. He enjoyed the rules and structure the school had to offer. He relished his time as a Prefect and then as Head Boy.

He excelled in his mandatory coursework and earned NEWTs in all the academically rigorous subjects – no Divination for him.

He had attended quidditch matches mostly because it would have seemed odd not to. His older brother Charlie had been on the team when Percy had started at Hogwarts, and had even encouraged Percy to try out the sport for himself.

But Percy declined. He wasn't a typical athlete. His extracurricular activity of choice was the noble art of dueling.

During his sixth year, Percy had hoped that the dueling club Lockhart had established would flourish. Sadly, it failed to take off. The student body continued to support and promote the brute strength of quidditch players over the subtle finesse of elite duelists.

Proper dueling was governed by precise rules of decorum. Both parties agreed to abide by the six duel commandments.

Number One: The duel challenge must be accepted.

Number Two: Seconds must be present and ready to whisk the defeated witch or wizard off for medical attention.

Three: Each duel would begin with a bow of respect to your opponent.

Four: The duel would commence in a flurry of non-fatal spells.

Five: The duel would immediately end when one party voluntarily yielded or was knocked unconscious by a well-aimed stunner.

And Number Six: If both parties were alert at the end, the duelers would once again bow to one another. It was a show of respect to thank the other wizard for fighting with you.

Proper dueling was very civilized. A sport for intellectuals.

But this wasn't dueling. This was war.

Percy stood beside his brother Fred as lethal green curses crackled through the air.

"You're joking, Perce! You actually are joking, Percy," Fred exclaimed jovially as he dove to avoid a hex. "I don't think I've heard you joke since you were — "

BOOM!

A loud crash rumbled through the hall. Percy watched, frozen to the spot, as a wall crumbled down atop his younger brother.

He did not need to see Fred to confirm what had just happened.

Fred was dead.

Percy's vision blurred through the sheen of unshed tears and a haze of absolute fury. He let loose a guttural scream and sent a curse towards the imperiused Minister of Magic.

Pius Thicknesse fell to the ground and began to sprout tiny spikes. He screamed out in pain as the sharp spines erupted from his skin, but Percy didn't care. He continued to strike the older man down with curse after curse, hex after hex. His rage was fueled by his sharp grief as he lost all sense of proper decorum.

His opponent, who now closely resembled a sea urchin, had clearly yielded. If Percy were sticking with the rules, he would have ceased his fire and obliged Thicknesse with a bow. But Percy Weasley was not dueling.

He continued to cast curses at the immobile form in the rubble. Just as he began to shout "Avad-" he felt a strong set of arms wrap around him. He struggled to escape the hold; his fight or flight instincts screaming at him.

"Perce! Percy!" His older brother Bill shook him to bring him back to his senses.

"Bill," Percy sobbed, "Fred is.. Fred is."

"I know," Bill acknowledged. "I saw what happened."

"HE KILLED FRED!" Percy tried to free his wand arm from Bill's strong grip. He wanted nothing more than to send the killing blow towards his incapacitated foe.

Fortunately, Bill seemed to know exactly what his plan was and held him in a vice grip. "Percy! It's done. You've defeated Thicknesse. It's over."

"But I need-"

"-You need to leave him be. I can't let you become a vigilante murderer. The fight with him is over. If you kill him now, while he is no longer a risk, that's what you'd be. A murderer." Percy sagged against his brother's body. "You defeated him, Percy. You avenged Fred. Alright?"

Suddenly, a voice entered Percy's subconscious. Voldemort called for a temporary ceasefire. Percy watched his forces immediately vanish in puffs of black smoke. Pius Thicknesse remained behind; still unconscious in his sea urchin form.

With a strong incarcerous spell, Bill bound the Minister in thick, impenetrable chains. He clasped a hand on Percy's shoulder. "Can you help me move these stones off of Fred? We need to bring him to the Great Hall. That's where-"

"-That's where the dead are. I know," Percy said monotonously as he fell to his knees in front of the ruined wall. Without magic, he shifted through the pile of rubble and debris until he uncovered the unmoving form of his younger brother.

"He was smiling," Percy noted as he brushed some dust from Fred's cheek.

"I'm glad," Bill said. Percy could hear the emotion in Bill's voice as they both tried to hold back the tears. "Seems right that he'd be joking right until the end."

Just as Bill began to pick up Fred's body, Percy yelled, "Wait!" Percy bowed to his fallen brother. This wasn't dueling. This was war. But it only felt right to honor and thank Fred for fighting with him.

He nodded to his eldest brother and together they carried Fred to the Great Hall.


End file.
